Baby Sam Al-Ghamdi arrived much earlier than doctors had hoped.
His mom, Jeanne Al-Ghamdi, went into labor at 25 weeks gestation. Sam was born at 29½ weeks gestation — full-term pregnancy is 39 to 40 weeks — and had numerous health problems. In addition to issues associated with premature birth, Sam had Down syndrome and a heart problem.
Despite the efforts of providers at Legacy Salmon Creek Medical Center, Sam died a few hours after his birth.
“I had a beautiful baby boy who lived three and a half hours here at the hospital,” said Jeanne Al-Ghamdi.
Ever since that day nearly seven years ago, Al-Ghamdi has been searching for a way to memorialize her son’s brief life. She considered donating money in Sam’s honor, but wanted something with a lasting impact.
“I’ve just wanted something permanent for Sam here at the hospital,” Al-Ghamdi said.
Now, there is.
Last month, Al-Ghamdi, her mother, Diana Webber, and the hospital’s spiritual care team introduced Sam’s Art Cart — a wood cabinet stocked full of art supplies for hospital patients.
“It was perfect,” Al-Ghamdi said.
Adding art
For seven years, Al-Ghamdi and Webber waited for the right opportunity to honor Sam.
The congregation at their church, Messiah Lutheran Church in Vancouver, had been involved with the Salmon Creek hospital in the past. This spring, the church received a list of desired art supplies for a new project the hospital’s spiritual care team hoped to launch.
The team had for years hoped to implement an art program for patients, said Barb Harris, a chaplain at Legacy Salmon Creek. The spiritual care team works closely with palliative patients. Research has shown art can benefit palliative patients by allowing them to express their pain, break through difficult situations and find meaning in life, Harris said.
Art can also help other hospital patients, she said. Patients who are withdrawn may find it easier to express themselves through journaling or drawing. Long-term patients can distract themselves for hours with art projects, Harris said.
“There’s so much research on the healing benefits of art,” she said. “It’s such a gift to our patients.”
Al-Ghamdi and Webber heard about the project and stepped in. The cart, they decided, was the perfect way to honor Sam.
“We looked at each other and said, ‘Sam’s Art Cart,'” Al-Ghamdi said.
Keeping patients safe
Al-Ghamdi and Webber worked for several months with the hospital’s infection control staff to make sure the cart didn’t pose a risk to patients. Since the cart will move throughout the hospital, they didn’t want the cart to spread germs or illness.
As a solution, Al-Ghamdi and Webber assembled individual art kits in half-gallon plastic bags. Patients choose a kit, and whatever goes into the hospital room, stays in the room.
The mandala kits come with several mandala coloring sheets and colored pencils or markers. Coloring kits come with pages from coloring and activity books and a small box of crayons. Watercolor kits have a paint tray and paper. The journal kits include a handmade journal with pencils or colored pencils.
The family, including Al-Ghamdi’s dad, George Webber, paid for the cart and all of the supplies. They received a $300 grant from their church to purchase enough plastic bags and labels for a year.
The family has been so pleased with the success of the project, they’re already dreaming about expanding the project into more hospitals.
“God’s had his hand in this,” Webber said. “He’s the potter, we’re the clay.”
At Legacy Salmon Creek, Harris is already seeing the efforts pay off for patients.
“We see magic happen when these supplies get in the hands of patients,” she said.
